Almond Butter Fudge + Delicious Ella Cookbook Giveaway

Rob thought it was a (not so) silent cry for help when I said I hadn’t been to the gym for over 2 months. I was hoping I would have good news to share. We ended up going to a spinning class together last weekend but sadly, it was another week without mid-week gym action. I am going to try to go to the gym before work next week, so we’ll see how that goes.

While I feel 90-95% back to my regular self, I know I am getting better when I want to return to the gym and more importantly, eat all the desserts. No stranger to freezer fudge (I loved this cinnamon almond freezer fudge), this was a quick snack to stash away until my next chocolate craving. Simple ingredients including dates, almond butter, coconut oil and cacao powder, this was basically like eating a raw vegan chocolate cheesecake from the freezer. However, it was already the perfect consistency the minute you removed it from the freezer. No thawing required. I mistakenly forgot to line my container with parchment paper, so it was a bit more difficult to remove my fudge from the container while still maintaining a semblance of prettiness. Afterwards, I returned the pieces back to the freezer and I had easily accessible nibbles.

The recipe stems from Ella Woodward’s first cookbook, Deliciously Ella. You are probably already familiar with her wildly popular blog of the same name, Deliciously Ella. Not to be confused with Naturally Ellawho’s name is actually Erin and who also writes cookbooks (confusing, I know). In any case, Ella has shared over 100 plant-based recipes (nearly all gluten-free and all with whole foods ingredients) brimming with photos from nearly every recipe. With her simple approach to coaxing natural flavours out of the foods, this is a very approachable cookbook and her writing style is equally non-threatening. The cookbook is divided into the major pillars of plant-based ingredients: grains, nuts and seeds, beans and legumes, vegetables, fruit, smoothies and juices. While it is a good way to think about approaching a balanced meal as a vegan, I wish the index were more thorough. Imagine not having the Key Lime Pie listed under Lime in the index. Yet it was included under avocados, probably because it was filed in the Fruit chapter. I look forward to eating my way through this cookbook and this freezer fudge was an excellent place to start.

Thankfully, the publisher allowed me to giveaway the cookbook to a reader living in Canada. To be entered in the random draw for the book, please leave a comment below telling me what you like most: grains, nuts and seeds, beans and legumes, vegetables, fruit, smoothies or juices. The winner will be selected at random on June 10, 2015. Good luck!

Ella’s note: The first time I made this fudge my roommates and I ate the whole batch within about three hours and then had to remake it the next day because we were craving it so much; it’s that good—dangerously good, even! Each bite is so gooey and chocolaty, it’s crazy to think it’s made from just four ingredients. The fudge is stored in the freezer, so you can make big batches of it to store for later, which means you always have something deliciously healthy to enjoy any time of the day.

1. Place the dates in a saucepan with a little boiling water. Allow them to cook for 5 minutes, until they’re really soft and all sticking together. If there is any water left in the pan, then drain it and set the dates to one side to cool for a couple of minutes.

2. Place the almond butter, coconut oil and cacao powder in a food processor and add the dates in before blending for a minute or 2, until a sticky paste forms.

3. Line a 10-inch baking dish with parchment paper and pour the mix in before putting it into the freezer to set for at least 3 hours before serving.

4. Store in the freezer. When you want to enjoy a piece, take it out of the freezer and allow it to warm up for a few minutes before eating. (Janet’s tip: Remove from freezer and cut into your desired pieces. Return to freezer to have quicker access to bite-size freezer fudge)

Top tip

Try adding chunks of nuts and raisins to this to change the texture and add more of a crunch.

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This fudge looks and sounds so good (and simple). It’s hard to decide which if those plants foods I love best but I’d probably say vegetables are the most versatile in terms of preparing them. Thanks for hosting the giveaway! 🙂

You should read The Plantpower Way—Not just another cookbook. I found it fascinating .Rich and Julie aren’t posers, they are living the natural lifestyle. Read my review on Momzinga.com:http://momzinga.com/?p=5164

Thanks for hosting the recipe, and for posting such a wonderful-sounding recipe. Favorites? I’d have to say combinations. Most of my entrees combine various veggies with beans & whole grains. I love the symphony of flavors, textures, colors, and nutrients.

Having freezer fudge ready for those times when a chocolate craving appears is brilliant! And this sounds like the perfect recipe for that.
I love all plant-based food, but vegetables are my current favorite. I just can’t get enough!

Oh yum! I’m so glad you were able to share this choco-awesomeness. Sounds dee-licious! Thanks so much for sharing this at Healthy Vegan Fridays. It’s going to be featured this coming Friday. I’m pinning and sharing.
I’m glad you are almost back to yourself again – it takes time to get back to a gym routine when recovering.